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Change due to Halo hierarchy in '14

Jon Paul Morosi

Jon Paul Morosi is a National MLB Writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan. Follow him on Twitter.

It is possible that Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto will stay and manager Mike Scioscia will go. It is probably more likely that Scioscia will stay and Dipoto will go. Ultimately, team owner Arte Moreno could replace both men.

One way or the other, change is coming to Anaheim.

The Angels are expected to have a new general manager or manager by next Opening Day because of ongoing philosophical differences between Dipoto and Scioscia, multiple industry sources told FOX Sports.

Moreno, who declined comment through a team spokesman, has not made a final decision about his management team for 2014. But it’s apparent to many in the organization that the status quo is untenable: A bloated budget, thin farm system, and fourth-place position in the American League West.

The Angels are on pace to finish with their worst record in Scioscia’s 14 years as manager, yet he has considerable influence over what happens next. His 10-year, $50 million contract doesn’t expire until after the 2018 season. So unless Scioscia walks away from perhaps the richest deal for a manager in baseball history, Moreno could decide to fire the employee (Dipoto) who is due less money; Dipoto, now in his second season, is under contract only through 2014.

It’s unclear how strong of a candidate Scioscia would be for potential job openings with the Phillies (Ryne Sandberg has the interim tag), Nationals (Davey Johnson is retiring) or Dodgers (Scioscia’s former team, with Don Mattingly in the final year of his contract). If Scioscia finds a job elsewhere, Dipoto’s chances of staying likely would increase.

Among the issues affecting the Dipoto-Scioscia relationship: Scioscia had grown accustomed to having a large say in personnel matters — similar to an NFL head coach — for much of his tenure in Anaheim.

Dipoto expected autonomy when he took the job as GM, but sources say that has not come to pass — in part because Moreno’s investments in Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton reduced his budget for pitching.

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